Another morning...

Well what would you call it? I just had to use this photo today because it's by far the most striking of any I took later - even though I caught two herons flying like synchronised swimmers over Loch Long in the early evening, or the wonderful setting sun striking fire from the Holy Loch as we headed home from that particular walk. But when I woke this morning, the first thing I saw was a line of red light above the hills on the far side and I was out of bed, window flung open, in the time it took to say "Look at that!" - and then I was back in bed, with my mug of tea, when it suddenly became more fiery, more special. I can't remember if I've used this particular morning view before, but I can see this without even leaving my bed. Two minutes later it was gone, vanished into the grey cloud that hung over the firth for much of the day until teatime. 

I was up with reasonable expedition, and ready to go out by about 9.40am, which is pretty good for me these days. Because of a misunderstanding about ferry passes (the cards we aged of this town carry because the new tighter ruling on Western Ferries means we have to show them at the same time as our concession tickets because people were abusing the system. Of course they were) - anyway, because of this, we were in fact rushed for me to catch the 10am ferry with Di to go Over The Water to get our respective hair(s?) done. Himself pulled up, I jumped out, spotted Di's car edging forward in the boarding queue and hurled myself into it - all very dramatic. 

We had an entertaining if chilly shopping expedition in Tesco's - their bran cereal is far better than Kellogg's and we can't get any own brand here any more; I was looking for poppadoms you need to cook because they're better than the ready-to-eat variety; I also bought a tin of pinhead oatmeal because I don't know when my regular order is coming and a bag of apparently wonderfully strong flour to resurrect my starter. Thrilling stuff, eh? We had a coffee in Costa in the Oak Tree Mall and headed off to our hairdresser too early, went for a wee wander along a side street and found it closed off by police tape and asked a very tall boy in the uniform of a policeman why this was so - all very grandmotherly. The hair-cutting was sociable and cheerful, followed by focaccia, oils and roasted vegetables in Tonino's before we came home. 

Himself and I had a walk along the Blairmore shore road before night came, prompted by my having left the absurd collection of shopping in Di's boot. It was quietly and chillily beautiful, and as well as the two herons I saw a seal swimming past. Dinner was late and now it's midnight.

Shhhh. It'll be another morning soon!